38 years of memories in one place

Yesterday was an interesting and fantastic day at the annual Georgia AAA spray clinic and fish fry. There were aircraft calibrating their spray patterns and many old friends to touch base with. Many of us there, if not most, have been friends for over 35 years. It was more like a reunion than a spray clinic. 

When Terry Humphrey, working again with the Thrush factory, landed in a new dual cockpit 510P and walked up the ramp, memories of the Ayres Corporation came back to me. Charlie and Molly Foster dropped by, although Charlie has been out of the flying business for several years. I remember Charlie used to fly a Stearman from the north end of the county in 1974, the year I started. I was flying a “modern” Hutch wing Pawnee.

J.D. Scarborough cooked fresh mullet fillets, mullet backbones, peeled shrimp, oysters and catfish; just as he and his volunteers have done for several years at the clinic. Jack Woodard and J.D. had flown to Apalachicola, Florida for the fresh seafood (including a cooler full of raw oysters). It was amusing to watch Jane Garr (Garrco) from Indiana and two Canadian guests, Ryan Tomcala and Devon Yahoinitsky, try to “stomach” watching us southern boys “slurp” down those raw delicacies.  

Ryan and Devon were taking delivery of a new dual cockpit Thrush 510P they plan to use for turbine transition training. The aircraft is fully equipped with dual controls, Turbine Conversion’s bottom fuel loader, GPS, bubble rear cockpit window, etc. The bubble window will come in handy when teaching a student to land the Thrush. The rear cockpit view in a DC Thrush can become blind really quick.

I can’t say enough good things about the food. You don’t find that kind of eating just anywhere. Even the catfish were fresh-caught from nearby Lake Blackshear. I am sure that second plate of fried food brought my cholesterol numbers back up where they belong (j)!

A benefit of being a member of the GAAA is attending one its statewide spray clinics. The dues math is real easy - a free lunch worth membership dues alone, several passes across the string manned by Operation S.A.F.E. analysis Paul Sumner and a subscription to AgAir Update. How could an operator go wrong with a deal like that?

I can’t close this blog without expressing unending gratitude to Stephanie and Frankie Williams and all the good folks at Souther Field Aviation, who hosted this event, like they do every year. The Association picks up the tab, but Souther Field Aviation and an awesome group of volunteers make it happen. 

I am sure I forgot to mention someone, so to all those other great friends I’ve made over the years that I spoke with yesterday, it was a heart-warming experience. I did not attend the event to write another AgAir Update article. I attended to remind me of my ag-aviation roots at an airport from where I hauled many loads and to be amongst good friends. It was a good day.